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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300794">my broken house behind me (and good things ahead)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity'>aletterinthenameofsanity</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>my tiny ass fandom fest [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Daybreak (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AND ON FUCKING CLIFFHANGERS, Bisexual Male Character, ELI IS BISEXUAL FUCKING FIGHT ME, ELI ISN'T FUCKING DEAD, Eli Deserved Better, FOUND FAMILY IS MY FUCKING SHIT Y'ALL, Fix-It, Found Family, HE JUST FAKED IT, Happy Ending, I REFUSE TO ACCEPT IT, M/M, Post-Canon, alright?, and I will never forgive Netflix for cancelling it, i love this fucking show, josh is kinda a dick but he's not the worst, this found family means the entire world to me, why do all of my fav shows have to be cancelled early</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:29:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eli Cadashyan is a foolish kid- he fell in love with a boy who was in love with someone else. He’s a resourceful kid, who wanted to have more, to be more, and so made himself a kingdom out of knockoffs and a lifetime spent in department stores. He’s a brilliant kid, who engineered a way to protect his kingdom at the end of the world.</p><p>He’s a selfish kid- he wanted to keep his hoard as three loners begged him to give them sanctuary. He’s a selfless kid- he let them all come to live in his mall. He opened up his kingdom- and thus his heart- to all of the Daybreakers, the refugees.</p><p>He’s a flawed kid- he protested, at first. He tried to kill Josh when Wesley couldn’t work up the guts to. He insulted Josh’s leadership again and again, when he was just trying his best to be leader. He’s a good kid- he redid Ms. Crumbles and Angelica’s hair and makeup. He helped them all fight the Jocks and the Ghoulies. He helped Josh infiltrate the school (sorta).</p><p>Eli Cardashyan is a kid. He’s a kid who’s made mistakes and tried to make some of them right. He’s a kid who ended up gaining himself a home and a family when the world ended.</p><p>And he's a kid who's not gonna die because of fucking Jayden Hoyles.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eli &amp; Josh &amp; Angelica &amp; Ms. Crumbles &amp; Wesley &amp; Turbo, Eli Cardashyan/Josh Wheeler, background Wesley Fists/Turbo Pokaski | Turbo Bro Jock</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>my tiny ass fandom fest [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1242110</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>103</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>my broken house behind me (and good things ahead)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Come_BackToMe/gifts">Come_BackToMe</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/21445111">Rebels and Mutineers</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Come_BackToMe/pseuds/Come_BackToMe">Come_BackToMe</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title is from "This Year" by the Mountain Goats, which this fic was written to.</p><p>*watches Eli "die" and runs to write fix-it fic as quickly as possible* I will save you, my child!</p><p>Alright, so this isn't my usual style of writing, but it felt like it worked with Daybreak's style so hope y'all like it, anyway?</p><p>Also, if y'all want to know how Turbo became part of the Daybreaker family, just read the fic I linked here. That's basically my headcanon for how things go, at least, and I loved that fic a lot.</p><p>Also also, in the background of this fic, Mona and Sam totally hooked up.</p><p>Works in the fandom before this one: 39.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not.</em>
</p><p>
  <strong>-Jodi Picoult</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Eli Cadashyan is a stubborn kid. He’s a foolish kid- he fell in love with a boy who was in love with someone else. He’s a resourceful kid, who wanted to have more, to be more, and so made himself a kingdom out of knockoffs and a lifetime spent in department stores. He’s a brilliant kid, who engineered a way to protect his kingdom at the end of the world.</p><p>He’s a selfish kid- he wanted to keep his hoard as three loners begged him to give them sanctuary. He’s a selfless kid- he let them all come to live in his mall. He opened up his kingdom- and thus his heart- to all of the Daybreakers, the refugees.</p><p>He’s a flawed kid- he protested, at first. He tried to kill Josh when Wesley couldn’t work up the guts to. He insulted Josh’s leadership again and again, when he was just trying his best to be leader. He’s a good kid- he redid Ms. Crumbles and Angelica’s hair and makeup. He helped them all fight the Jocks and the Ghoulies. He helped Josh infiltrate the school (sorta).</p><p>He’s an honest kid, or at least, has been since the Apocalypse happened- he did what he needed to do to get things done and didn’t lie about it. He tried to murder Josh and he confessed.</p><p>Eli Cardashyan is a kid. He’s a kid who’s made mistakes and tried to make some of them right. He’s a kid who ended up gaining himself a home and a family when the world ended.</p><p>And he's a kid who's not gonna die because of fucking <em>Jayden Hoyles.</em></p><p>-</p><p>He arrives back at the Mall after Sam Dean has taken over the Jocks, not expecting much of a greeting as he tries to hold his guts in. (His wound isn’t life-ending, but it’s currently somewhat life-threatening and he’s not a big fan of not fixing it soon.) He’s not expecting much of anything when he gets there- he knows that he didn’t leave the best of impressions on the Daybreaker kids that he refused to let into the mall at first.</p><p>But then Wes and Josh and Angelica all come pouring out of the side entrance to the mall, throwing their arms around him, and the backs of Eli’s eyes start to burn with tears that he swears he won’t let fall. </p><p>Behind them, Turbo and Ms. Crumbles exit the building as well. Ms. Crumbles runs her fingers through Eli’s hair once Wes and Angelica have broken off, muttering, “my little monster is back,” as she hums a small tune, and Eli has never been happier to be insulted like that in his life.</p><p>“Let’s get you fixed up,” Josh says, eyes shining, grin wide, as Eli finally notes that Josh has yet to let go of him- something that Eli wants to take as a sign but can't, because he has some sense in his brain. Still, Eli can definitely take some sort of pleasure in the fact that Josh is the one who helps him limp back inside the building, the one who explains to him everything that's happened since he nearly died, the rise of Sam Dean as leader of the Jocks, the way most of the Daybreakers left to join her tribe, the way she and Mona Lisa might be a thing now.</p><p>(Throughout all of this, Josh doesn't once mention how he's meant to have a happy ending with Sam, and Eli takes it as a win.)</p><p>-</p><p>Josh is...nicer than he was when Eli left, which is saying a lot because Josh is, sadly and uselessly, the nicest person that’s left after the Apocalypse ended. Or, at least, the biggest wuss- and that’s saying something as Wesley Fists is a pacifist who wouldn’t kill their biggest archenemy.</p><p>(Said archenemy is now their ally, which says a lot about how much the Apocalypse can throw shit into whack.)</p><p>But back to Josh Wheeler, and how he hasn’t said a single rude word to Eli since Eli came back, how he hasn’t once made some sort of sappy remark about Sam or even KJ since Eli’s wound started to be treated in much the same way as Josh’s was back when he, Wesley, Angelica, the Witch, and Josh were all <em> really </em> tense roommates, before all the Daybreakers came in.</p><p>“Tell me the truth,” Eli says to Wesley when he visits Eli’s makeshift hospital bed in the home goods store. “Is Josh acting different or is it just me?”</p><p>“Oh, it’s not just you,” Wesley says, “But it’s just toward you, okay?”</p><p>“What the fuck do you mean?”</p><p>Wesley snorts. “Listen, man,” he says, “After everything that happened with Sam Dean and KJ, Josh rethought some shit. And he realized how he felt about you.”</p><p>Eli’s heart lurches in his chest. “What do you mean by that?”</p><p>Wesley is smiling as he says: "You’re part of our family, Josh says.”</p><p>For a moment something warms in Eli's chest beyond just the wound turning his torso hot with fever. Part of the family? That's all Eli's wanted since before the Apocalypse began. To have people that accepted him.</p><p>But then his brain fully processes such a statement and-</p><p>Oh, fuck. Does Josh Wheeler think about Eli the same way he thinks about Angelica and Wesley- you know, as a brother? </p><p>Eli groans. Jesus fucking Christ. The guy he’s had a crush on for the past few weeks thinks of him a little brother. Beautiful.</p><p>"You all good, Eli?" Wesley asks, and Eli shrugs, then groans again, because that's a stupid idea due to a a massive torso wound.</p><p>"I'm fine," Eli says, "Totally happy about being part of a family with you, pyro princess, the witch, the Canadian idiot, and the guy who's been trying to kill us for months. Because Turbo Bro Jock is <em>definitely</em> part of your family, right?"</p><p>Wesley shrugs. "He's my boyfriend. You can't exactly blame me."</p><p>Eli can, most definitely, blame Wesley for it, but he decides not to. New leaf and everything, after the Apocalypse and him nearly dying. He has a family now, and maybe his crush thinks of him as a little brother, but that's better than nothing.</p><p>In fact, a family- that's better than everything.</p><p>-</p><p>Eli is pretty much back to normal within a couple of weeks and some drugs from the stash that Wesley and Angelica stole months ago to save Josh from the gangrene finger- and yeah, looking back on that, Eli's not entirely sure why he has a crush on such an idiot, but there you have it. He takes to walking around the mall, watching as Josh and the others reorder Ghoulie watch so that they actually <em>have</em> one like they didn't before- a suggestion from the new-and-half-improved Turbo Bro Jock.</p><p>Yeah, speaking of Turbo- having him on their side isn’t as good as having the new and badass Sam Dean on their side- hey, Eli may have a crush on Sam Dean’s ex-boyfriend, but he knows how to appreciate badass when he sees it- but he <em>is</em> an asset, despite his occasional bloodlust. At least <em>this</em> version of Turbo Bro Jock turns his bloodlust on the Ghoulies instead of what’s left of the Daybreakers.</p><p>Yeah, Eli's not entirely sure what's up with Turbo Bro Jock, other than that he lives on the roof and Wesley sleeps on the roof most nights and that he no longer plots to kill Josh and that sometimes, he and Wesley can be found making out around the mall.<br/>
<br/>
(Yeah, Eli can't deny that he's pretty jealous. Mavis moved on, telling Eli that she'd decided to join the Cheermazons and to also "get off his ass and finally admit his feelings to Josh Wheeler," and Eli's feeling horny and lonely and in unrequited love. So Wesley and Turbo Bro Jock getting in on everywhere? Not the best thing in the world for Eli.)</p><p>-</p><p>When the Ghoulie watches get set up, the expected people sign up. Turbo Bro Jock, Angelica, Josh, Ms. Crumble, and, well, Eli.</p><p>Yeah, Eli Cardashyan. That kid. That honest, clever, foolish kid.</p><p>See, the thing is that Eli's not completely useless. Of course he's not. He wouldn't have survived if he was. He can kick a Ghoulie ass or two, if he has a partner.</p><p>And he gets one, strangely enough, in Josh. (Okay, not "strangely enough," because it makes sense that Ms. Crumble and Angelica would pair up, and that Turbo Bro Jock would go with Wesley, who is a pacifist but it doesn't really matter because Turbo Bro Jock is strong enough to count for two people.)</p><p>Josh, who Eli has a massive crush on, but that Wesley says only sees Eli as "part of the family." Alright, Eli can work with that. Of course he can. He may have a crush on Josh, but he also wants a family. He always has. And he's happy with what he has.</p><p>-</p><p>And as a result of this whole partnership- and Eli's not entirely sure how, don't ask him- Josh starts to teach Eli how to skate.</p><p>(Once again, don't ask Eli. You can't blame him, anyway- when you have a crush on someone, you're likely to do stupid things to impress them.)</p><p>At first, Eli keeps failing. He has his strengths, but balance and sports ain't one of them. And Josh laughs, every once in awhile, but for the most part helps Eli learn better.</p><p>And it's kinda beautiful, in a post-Apocalyptic, totally platonic (ish), sort of way.</p><p>There are other things they do, too, in between Ghoulie watches, that only make Eli's crush worse- but he doesn't actually care. Life is at the best it's been since the Apocalypse started, and even if his unrequited love for the head of the Daybreakers is increasing by the day, he can't exactly complain.</p><p>The point is- they play Pokemon, the two of them, hang out with everyone, work together to take care of what's left of the Daybreakers (more Josh than Eli, but hey, he's at least somewhat pitching his weight nowadays), and generally get (totally platonically) closer.</p><p>And if Eli happens to have wet dreams of Josh along the way, then that's that. Whatever, you know?</p><p>-</p><p>It's Angelica who finally gets Eli to, quote, "get his head out of his ass." It's not in the most subtle way possible, of course, but that's not Angelica's style so Eli doesn't expect it.</p><p>It's after Eli's back from his most recent shift on Ghoulie watch. He's got a couple of days left until his next shift and he's, for some reason, hanging out with Angelica and Ms. Crumbles in the clothing store. They tend to do that a lot, recently, hanging out together, this little "family" of theirs. Whether here in the clothing store on on the roof with Turbo and Wesley or playing Pokemon with Josh, he tends to get a lot of time with the family nowadays- a fact that he loves.</p><p>“You’re a fucking idiot,” Angelica says after Eli makes a comment towards his feelings to Josh- or, rather, Josh's feelings towards him. “Josh doesn’t think of you as a brother, he has a motherfucking <em> crush </em> on you, you dumbass!”</p><p>Eli’s jaw drops. “What?”</p><p>"Seriously, Eli, I don't understand what he sees in you, but he <em>likes</em> you like he used to like Sam Dean, only this time without all of the delusions about happy endings and perfection and shit. He <em>likes</em> you, for some reason, and I don't know why, but you two need to get your shit together because it's fucking stupid. Who knows how much longer we're going to live? Make the most of the time that we have, dipshit, and tell him how you feel."</p><p>"She's right, you know," Ms. Crumbles mutters from her position lining up cockroaches on the side of the room. "He does like you. And not how I like Angelica. Like adults do when they want to kiss you without manipulating you."</p><p>Now, <em>that's</em> a comment that Eli's going to have to unravel at a later date- he really does like Ms. Crumbles, she's like an weird Aunt of sorts- but for now he's going to have to work on what Angelica said.</p><p>-</p><p>It's a good speech from Angelica, isn't it? Too bad that Eli needs to take a day to avoid Josh and process his own feelings and think about whether he's willing for Angelica to be wrong, whether he's willing to shatter this family that he's built for the chance of being able to kiss Josh Wheeler.</p><p>It's only when he finds his <em>Magic the Gathering </em>cards- the ones that were at school, last he knew- that he knows, and he decides that he's going to kill Josh for not telling him.</p><p>But first-</p><p>-</p><p>So the next time Eli goes to learn how to skate with Josh, he confronts the Canadian idiot douchebag.</p><p>"Angelica says you liked me back," Eli says, apropos of nothing, no prologue, no nothing. He's waited long enough- he wants answers.</p><p>Josh doesn't even try to deny it. Instead, he just asks: "Back?"</p><p>"Yeah, you turd, <em>back</em>," Eli says, because Josh really is an idiot. God, Josh is lucky that Eli likes him back, because sometimes Josh is an utter dumbass beyond even Eli's occasional idiot moments. "Of course I like you. Who doesn't?"</p><p>Josh's brow furrows in that adorably idiotic way of his. "What do you mean?"</p><p>"Sam Dean. KJ. Half of the old Daybreakers. Not to give you a big head or anything, but they've all had crushes on you."</p><p>"Alright, that's new information," Josh says, brow still furrowed, but then he looks up at Eli. "But you're the only one I like back, right now. And the only I <em>have</em> liked back, for awhile."</p><p>"Oh, really?" Eli says, and steps a foot or two closer to Josh- putting them right in front of each other, close enough to-</p><p>Josh leans down and seals their lips together in a kiss, just as Eli has been dreaming about for months. They kiss and they bump noses and it ain't perfect, but god it's <em>good </em>and Josh likes him back and that's all Eli's wanted.</p><p>Josh leans back and grins at Eli. "Now that was pretty great, don't you think?"</p><p>"Could use some work," Eli says with a shrug that belies the brilliant grin stretching across his lips, and Josh smiles, shrugs himself, and leans in- something that Eli is all too willing to embrace.</p><p>-</p><p>That night finds the whole family up on the roof, Wesley and Turbo on their usual mattress bed, Angelica and Ms. Crumbles on their own pallet of blankets, and Eli and Josh are holding hands- legit holding hands, fingers entwined- as the sun sets, as the night breaks, the six of them together, a strange little family after the world has ended.</p><p>Somewhere out there, Sam and Mona Lisa are ruling the Jocks and a lot of the other tribes at the school. Somewhere out there, there are other groups of people living their strange lives after the world has ended. Somewhere out there, anything could be happening.</p><p>But here, at the Mall, right here-</p><p>Things aren't perfect. But do they have to be? Perfect is boring and the Mall is weird and life is strange, but it's theirs.</p><p>Fuck perfect. They're still a family, Josh likes Eli back, and life is good.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I cannot be the only person in the world who was upset when they found out this show was cancelled, right?</p><p>Hope you all enjoyed this fic! It was a lot of fun to write and I hope it was a lot of fun to read! If you liked it, please leave a kudos and/or a comment- seeing any sign of life in this fandom means a lot!</p><p>Also, if y'all want to follow me on twitter, I can be found <a href="https://twitter.com/KennaJenkins19">here</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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